Contact for overhead electric railways



(No Model.) I

A. H. CHADBOURNE. CONTACT FOR OVERHEAD ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 438,404. Patented Oct. 14, 1890.

lizvgniol' I JZZZE/I'Z J5- c/zacz awrne/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT H. CHADBOURNE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTACT FOR OVERHEAD ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,404, dated October 14, 1890.

' Application filed July 9, 1890- Serial No. 358,209. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. CHAD- BOURNE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Contacts for Overhead Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct an improved contact for the overhead wires of an overhead electric railway. This object I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a side view of myimproved contact for overhead wires of electric railways, mounted on a car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. at is aperspective view of the frame. View showing a double contact.

It has been the usual custom to make the contact of an overhead electricrailway in the shape of a trolley, which rides upon or is pressed upon the overhead wire. The objection to this form of contact is thatonly a very small surface of the trolley comes in contact with the wire, and if dirt or other foreign matter happens to lodge on the trolley it will break the contact and often create sparking, which is objectionable.

I have found that instead of using a contact-trolley a contact brush or plate can be used, giving an even contact and a more extended bearing-surface.

Referring to the drawings, A is the body of the car. a is the wire of an overhead system.

Mounted on the roof of the carA is a plate B, having the bearings for the two armsD D, which are pivoted to the bearings and to frame E, carrying the contact plate or brush F. This frame E must always bear the same longitudinal relation to the body of the car. Therefore I provide the parallel movement above described. A similar parallel move ment may be used without departing from my invention. The contact-plate in the present instance bears against the side of the wire,

and on the frame E is a wheel or trolley e,

resting against the under side of the wire. This wheel I prefer to make of non-conducting material, as its sole object is to keep the contact-plate F in proper relation to the wire.

The frame may run upon the wire instead of being pressed against it from the under side, as shown, and the contact-plate may Fig. 5 is a plan bear upon the top or bottom of the wire in- .stead of at the side, and in some instances a spring which rests between a collar on the rod and a bearing on the base-frame.

When the car is intended to be run in both directions without turning, other forms of springs to keep the frame E in proper rela-' tion to the wire may be used.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, in a contact for'overhead electric railways, of the supported frame, a guide-wheel resting against the wire, and a contact brush or plate adapted to bear against the side of the wire, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a contact for overhead electric railways, of the base-plate on a car, a contactcarrying frame, a contactplate secured thereto and adapted to rest upon the wire, with two arms connecting the base with the contact-plate, whereby the frame is always parallel with the body baseplate, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the base-plate, two arms pivoted thereto, a frame pivoted to the upper end of said arms, a contact-plate on said frame, and a trolley or. roller mounted on the frame and adapted to rest against the wire, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the frame supported from the car, having contact-plates adapted to bear one on each side of the wire, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the car, the base plate on said car, with a contact-supporting frame connected to the base-plate by supporting parallel bars, whereby a parallel movement is obtained, with a bearing-wheel mounted on said frame, and a trailing contact-brush on the frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. OHADBOURNE. Witnesses:

EUGENE En'rnnron, HENRY HowsoN. 

